than sleepy, finish for us thy tale, that we may cut short the watching
of this our latter night.” She replied:——With love and good will! It
hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding,
lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and
worthy celebrating, that, when the Jew came to his home and looked
around, he found it in the condition which the youth had contrived, so
he beat his face with his brogue and cried, “O the ruin of my house!”
Suddenly the Prince entered and his employer asked him, “Wherefore doest
thou on such wise, O Moslem?” Answered the youth, “Verily thou hast
defrauded me,” and rejoined the other, “No; I have not cheated thee on
any wise.” Then said the Jew in his mind:—“Needs must I set a snare for
this youth and slay him;” so he went in to his wife and said, “Spread
for us our beds upon the terrace-roof; and we will take thereto the
young Moslem, our servant, and cause him lie upon the edge, and when he
is drowned in slumber we will push him between us and roll him along the
floor till he fall down from the terrace and break to bits his neck.”
Now by fiat of Fate the youth was standing and overhearing[311] their
words. As soon as it was night-time the woman arose and spread the beds
upon the roof according as her husband had charged her do; but about
mid-afternoon the Prince bought him half a pound of filberts and placed
them with all care and circumspection in his breast-pocket. Presently
the Jew said to him, “O Moslem, we design to sleep in the open air, for
the weather is now summery;” and said he, “’Tis well, O my Master.”
Hereupon the Jew and the Jewess and the children and the Prince their
servant went up to the roof and the first who lay him down was the
house-master, placing his wife and children beside him. Then said he to
the youth, “Do thou sleep here upon the side,”[312] when the Prince
brought the filberts out of his breast-pocket and cracked them with his
teeth, and as often as they repeated to him, “Arise, O Moslem, and take
thy place on the couch,” he answered them, “Whenas I shall have eaten
these filberts.” He ceased not watching them till all had lain down and
were fast asleep, when he took his place on the bed between the mother
and the two boys. Presently the Jew awoke, and thinking that the youth
was sleeping on the edge, he pushed his wife, and his wife pushed the
servant, and the servant pushed the children towards the terrace-marge,
and both the little ones fell over and their brain-pans[313] were broken
and they died. The Jew hearing the noise of the fall fancied that none
had tumbled save his servant the young Moslem; so he rose in joy and
awoke his wife saying, “Indeed the youth hath rolled off the
terrace-roof and hath been killed.” Hereat the woman sat up, and not
finding her boys beside her, whilst the Prince still lay there she
wailed and shrieked and buffeted her cheeks, and cried to her husband,
“Verily none hath fallen save the children.” Hereat he jumped up and
attempted to cast the youth from the roof; but he, swiftlier than the
lightning, sprang to his feet and shouted at the Jew and filled him with
fear, after which he stabbed him with a knife which was handy, and the
other fell down killed and drowned in the blood he had spilled. Now the
Jew’s wife was a model of beauty and of loveliness and stature and
perfect grace, and when the King’s son turned upon her and designed to
slay her, she fell at his feet, and kissing them, placed herself under
his protection. Hereupon the youth left her alive, saying to himself,
“This be a woman and indeed she must not be mishandled;”[314] and the
Jewess asked him, “O my lord, what is the cause of thy doing on this
wise? At first thou camest to me and toldest me the untruth,
such-and-such falsehoods, and secondly, thou wroughtest for the
slaughter of my husband and children.” Answered he, “In truth thy man
slew my two brothers wrongously and causelessly!” Now when the Jewess
heard of this deed she enquired of him, “And art thou their very
brother?” and he replied, “In good sooth they were my brethren;” after
which he related to her the reason of their faring from their father to
seek the Water of Life for their mother’s use. Hereat she cried, “By
Allah, O my lord, the wrong was with my mate and not with thee; but the
Decreed chevisance doth need, nor is there flight from it indeed; so do
thou abide content. However, as regards the Water in question, it is
here ready beside me, and if thou wilt carry me along with thee to thy
country I will give thee that same, which otherwise I will withhold from
thee; and haply my wending with thee may bring thee to fair end.” Quoth
the Prince in his mind, “Take her with thee and peradventure she shall
guide thee to somewhat of good:” and thereupon promised to bear her
away. So she arose and led him into a closet where she showed him all
the hoards of the Jew, ready moneys and jewellery and furniture and
raiment; and everything that was with her of riches and resources she
committed to the young Prince, amongst these being the Water of Life. So
they bore away the whole of that treasure and he also carried off the
Jewess, who was beautiful exceedingly, none being her peer in that day.
Then they crossed the wilds and the wastes, intending for the land of
Al-Sín, and they persevered for a while of time.——And Shahrazad was
surprised by the dawn of day, and fell silent and ceased saying her
permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, “How sweet and tasteful
is thy tale, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!” Quoth
she, “And where is this compared with that I would relate to you on the
coming night an the Sovran suffer me to survive?” Now when it was the
next night and that was
The Seven Hundred and Fourteenth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, “Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other
than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching
of this our latter night!” She replied:——With love and good will! It
hath reached me O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding, lord
of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy
celebrating, that the young Prince ceased not wayfaring until the twain
drew near to the capital of China[315] where, by the fiat of Fate and
the sealed decree of Destiny, on entering the walls he found that his
father had fared to the mercy of Allah Almighty, and that the city,
being Kingless, had become like unto a flock of sheep lacking shepherd.
Moreover he was certified that the Lords of his father’s land and the
Grandees of the realm and all the lieges were in the uttermost
confusion. He went up to the palace and forgathered with his mother, and
seeing that she had not been healed of her sickness, he brought her out
the Water of Life and gave her to drink some little thereof whereby
health returned to her and she rose from her couch and took seat and
salam’d to him and asked concerning his brethren. However he concealed
his secret thereanent fearing lest it induce in her weakly state a fresh
attack and discovered to her naught but said, “Verily, we parted at such
a place in order to seek the Water of Life.” Then she looked upon his
companion the Jewess (and she cast in the mould of loveliness) and she
questioned him concerning the woman and he recounted to her the whole
affair, first and last, still concealing for the reason aforesaid, the
fate of his brothers. Now on the second day the bruit went abroad
throughout the city that the King’s son had returned; so the Wazirs and
Emirs and the Lords of the land and all who had their share in
governance forgathered with him and they set him as King and Sultan in
the stead of his sire. He took seat on the throne of his Kingship and
bade and forebade and raised and deposed and so tarried for a while of
time, until one day of the days when he determined to enjoy the hunt and
chase and divert himself in pleasurable case.[316] So he and his host
rode forth the city when his glance fell upon a Badawi girl who was
standing with the Shaykh her father considering his retinue; and the age
of the maiden might have mastered thirteen years. But as soon as the
King looked upon the girl love of her upon his heart alighted, and he
was thereby engrossed, for she was perfect in beauty and comeliness.
Hereupon he returned to his palace and sending for her father asked her
of him in marriage; the Shaykh, however, answered saying, “O our lord
the Sultan, I will not give up my daughter save to one who hath a
handicraft of his own,[317] for verily trade is a defence against
poverty and folk say:—Handicraft an it enrich not still it
veileth.”[318] Hereupon the King took thought in himself and said to the
Shaykh, “O Man, I am Sovran and Sultan and with me is abundant good;”
but the other replied, “O King of the Age, in King-craft there is no
trust.” However, of his exceeding love to the girl the Sultan presently
summoned the Shaykh of the Mat-makers and learnt from him the craft of
plaiting and he wove these articles of various colours both plain and
striped.[319] After this he sent for the father of the damsel and
recounted to him what he had done and the Shaykh said to him “O King of
the Age, my daughter is in poor case and you are King and haply from
some matter may befal a serious matter; moreover the lieges may say:—Our
King hath wived with a Badawi girl.” “O Shaykh,” replied the King, “all
men are the sons of Adam and Eve.” Hereupon the Badawi granted to him
his daughter and got ready her requisites in the shortest possible time
and when the marriage-tie was tied the King went in unto her and found
her like unto a pearl.[320] So he rejoiced in her and felt his heart at
rest and after tarrying with her a full-told year, one chance day of the
days he determined to go forth in disguise and to wander about town and
solace himself with its spectacles alone and unattended. So he went into
the vestiary where the garments were kept and doffing his dress donned a
garb which converted him into a Darwaysh. After this he fared forth in
early morning to stroll around the streets and enjoy the sights of the
highways and markets, yet he knew not what was hidden from him in the
World of the Future. Now when it was noon-tide he entered a street which
set off from the Bazar and yet was no thoroughfare,[321] and this he
followed up until he reached the head and end, where stood a cook[322]
making Kabábs. So he said to himself, “Enter yon shop and dine therein.”
He did so and was met by sundry shopmen who seeing him in Darwaysh’s
garb welcomed him and greeted him and led him within, when he said to
them, “I want a dinner.” “Upon the head and the eyes be it,” they
replied and conducting him into a room within the shop showed him
another till he came to the place intended when they said to him, “Enter
herein, O my lord.” So he pushed open the door and finding in the closet
a matting and a prayer-rug[323] spread thereupon he said to himself, “By
Allah, this is indeed a secret spot, well concealed from the eyes of
folk.” Then he went up to the prayer-rug and would have sat down upon it
after pulling off his papooshes, but hardly had he settled himself in
his seat when he fell through the floor for a depth of ten fathoms. And
while falling he cried out, “Save me, O God the Saviour;” for now he
knew that the people of that place only pretended to make Kababs and
they had digged a pit within their premises. Also he was certified that
each and every who came in asking for dinner were led to that place
where they found the prayer-rug bespread and supposed that it was set
therein for the use of the diners. But when the Sultan fell from his
seat into the souterrain, he was followed by the thieves who designed to
murther him and to carry off his clothes, even as they had done to many
others.——And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent
and ceased to say her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad,
“How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and
delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is this compared with that I would
relate to you on the coming night an the King suffer me to survive?” Now
when it was the next night and that was
The Seven Hundred and Sixteenth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, “Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other
than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching
of this our latter night!” She replied:——With love and good will! It
hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding,
lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and
worthy celebrating, that when the King fell into the pit (and he
disguised in Darwaysh-garb) the thieves sought to slay him and carry off
his clothes, when quoth he to them, “Wherefore kill me when my garments
are not worth a thousand groats[324] and I own not a single one?
However, I have at hand a handicraft whereat I am ready to work sitting
in this pit and do you take and sell my produce for a thousand faddahs;
and every day I will labour for you, finishing one and requiring naught
save my meat and drink and perpetual privacy in your quarters.” “At what
craft art thou crafty?” asked they, and he answered, “At mat-weaving: so
do ye bring me a piastre[325] worth of rushes[326] and the same of
yarn.” Accordingly they fared forth and fetched him his need and
presently he made a mat and said to them, “Take ye this and sell it not
for less than a thousand faddahs.” They hied out and carried the work to
the Bazar where, as soon as the folk caught sight thereof, they crowded
about the seller, each man offering more until the price had risen to a
thousand and two hundred silvern nusfs. Hereupon said the thieves to
themselves, “By Allah, this Darwaysh can profit us with much profit and
enrich us without other trade;” so every morning for ten days they
brought him rushes and yarn and he wove for them a mat which they vended
for a like sum. On this wise it happened to him; but as regards the
Wazirs and Emirs and lords of the land, they went up to the
Council-chamber[327] for the first day and the second and the third
until the week was ended and they awaited the coming of their King, but
he came not, neither found they any tidings nor hit they upon any
manifest traces and none knew whither he had wended. So they were sore
exercised and confusion befel with much tittle-tattle of folk; each one
said his own say nor were they guided by any to what they should do.
Furthermore, as often as they asked of the Harem they were answered, “We
have no tidings of him;” so they were perplext and at last they agreed,
their King being clean lost, to set up a Sultan as his successor.
However the Wazirs said, “Tarry ye until Allah shall open unto us a door
whereby we shall be rightly directed to him.” Now the King had required
from the people of the pit rushes of various colours, red and green, and
when they fetched them he fell to weaving a mat like those of the
striped sort, whereon he figured by marks and signs the name of the
quarter wherein he was gaoled[328] and discovered to his men the way
thereto and the site itself; after which he said to the thieves, “Verily
this mat misfitteth every save those in the Royal Palace and its price
is seven thousand faddahs. Do you take it and hie with it to the Sultan
who shall buy it of you and pay you the price.” They obeyed his bidding
and wending to the palace of the Grand Wazir found him sitting with the
Lords of the land and with the Nobles of the realm talking over the
matter of the King when behold, those who brought the mat entered into
his presence. Quoth the Minister, “What be that which is with you?” and
quoth they, “A mat!” whereupon he bade them unroll it and they did so
before him; and he, being sagacious, experienced in all affairs, looked
thereat and fell to examining the bundle and turning it about, and
considering it until suddenly he espied the signs thereupon figured. He
at once understood what they meant and he was rightly directed to the
place where the King was confined; so he arose without delay and after
ordering them to seize those who had brought the mat took with him a
party and went forth, he and they, after mastering the marks which were
upon the weft. He ceased not wending (and the people of the pit with him
under arrest) until such time as he arrived at the place. Here they went
in and opened the souterrain and brought out the King who was still in
Darwaysh garb. Presently the Wazir sent for the Linkman and when he
appeared they seized all who were in that place and struck off their
heads; but as for the women they put them into large sacks[329] of
camel’s hair and drowned them in the river: furthermore, they spoiled
all that was on that site and the Sultan gave orders to raze the house
until it became level with the ground. When all this had been done they
questioned the Sultan concerning the cause of that event and he informed
them of what had befallen him from incept to conclusion and lastly he
cried, “Walláhi! the cause of my escape from this danger was naught save
the handicraft which I learnt; to wit, the making of mats, and the
Almighty requite with welfare him who taught me because he was the means
of my release; and, but for my learning this trade, ye had never known
the way to discover me, seeing that Allah maketh for every effect a
cause.” And having on such wise ended this tale Ibn Ahyam[330] fell to
relating to the King the history of
THE RIGHTEOUS WAZIR WRONGFULLY GAOLED.[331]
It is related that there was a King among the manifold Kings of Al-Hind,
and he had a Wazir which was a right good counsellor to the realm and
pitiful to the lieges and the Fakirs and merciful to the miserable and
just in all his dealings. Despite this the Grandees of the kingdom hated
him and envied him, and at all times and seasons when he went forth the
presence or returned to his house, one of the Emirs would come forward
and say to the King, “O our lord, verily the Wazir doth of doings thus
and thus,”——And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell
silent and ceased saying her permitted say. Then quoth her sister
Dunyazad, “How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O sister mine, and how
enjoyable and delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is this compared with
that I would relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran suffer me
to survive?” Now when it was the next night and that was
The Seven Hundred and Twenty-ninth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, “Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other
than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching
of this our latter night!” She replied:——With love and good will! It
hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding,
lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and
worthy celebrating, that the Lords of the land, whenever the Wazir was
absent traduced him and maligned him in the presence of the Sultan,
saying, “The Minister doth such and such doings,” and this continued for
a while of time. Now one day of the days, as the Sultan was sitting in
his palace behold, a running messenger came to him bearing letters from
sundry of the provinces which were in his reign imploring help against
their foemen’s violence. “What may be done in this case?” asked the
Sultan, and his Nobles answered saying, “Send to them the Wazir,” but
they spake not this speech save in their resolve to ruin him and their
determination to destroy him. Hereupon the King sent for him and
summoned him and commanded him to journey to the places in question; but
those of whom the complaints had been made threw dangers and
difficulties in his way. Said the Wazir, “Hearing and obeying;” and
after preparing himself for wayfare he set forth on his way. Now the
Lords had despatched letters to the province whither he intended,
apprising the folk of his coming, and saying to them, “Empower him not
with anything, and if you avail to work him aught of wrong, so do.” When
the Wazir marched upon those places he was met by the people with
welcomes and deputations to receive him and offer him presents and
rarities and sumptuous gifts, and all who were therein honoured him with
highmost honour. Presently he sent for their adversaries, and having
brought them before him made peace between the two parties, and their
gladness increased and their sadness ceased, and he tarried with them
for a month full-told; after which he set out on his homeward march. The
Lords, however, had reported all this to the King and they were right
sore and sorrowful, for that their desire had been the destruction of
the Minister. And one day of the days as the Wazir was sitting at home,
behold, a party of Chamberlains appeared before him and summoned him to
the presence, saying, “Arise, the King requireth thee.” He rose without
stay or delay, and taking horse made for the presence, and ceased not
riding until he had reached the palace and had gone into the King, who
forthright bade throw him into gaol. (Now it happened that the prison
had seven doors.)[332] Cried the Wazir, “There is no Majesty and there
is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great; and verily we be
Allah’s and unto Him are we returning! Would I wot why and wherefore the
King hath confined me and for what cause; but Omnipotence is Allah’s.”
As soon as the Minister was quartered in his new quarters the Sovran
sent to interdict his eating any food of flesh-kind, allowing only bread
and cheese and olives and oil, and so left him in durance vile. Hereupon
all the folk applied them to addressing the King with petitions and to
interceding for the captive; but this was not possible; nay, the
Sultan’s wrath waxed hotter nor did it soon cool, for the Wazir abode in
gaol during the longsome length of seven years. As last one day of the
days that Sultan went forth disguised in Darwaysh-garb and toured about
town unattended, and ceased not walking until he reached and passed
before the palace of the Wazir, where he found a gathering of much folk,
some sweeping and others sprinkling water, and others spreading,[333]
whilst the Harem and household were in high glee and gladness. He stood
there amongst the spectators and presently asked what was doing, and
they informed him, saying, “The Wazir returneth from abroad this night
and folk have been informed by messenger that the Sultan hath deigned
restore him to favour and expressed himself satisfied, so presently we
shall see him once more at home.” “Praise be to Allah!” quoth the King
in his mind; “by the Almighty, this occurrence hath no cause, and how
went the bruit abroad that the King hath again accepted him? And now
there is no help but that I forgather with the Wazir and see what there
may be to do and how this occurred.” The Sultan increased in disquietude
therefor, so he went and bought a somewhat of bread and repairing to the
gaol (he being still in Fakir’s garb) accosted the gaoler and said to
him, “Allah upon thee, O my lord, open to me the bridewell that I may
enter and distribute this provaunt among the prisoners, for that I have
obliged myself to such course by oath, and the cause is that when
suffering from a sickness which brought me nigh to death’s door I vowed
a vow and sware a strong swear that, an Almighty Allah deign heal me, I
would buy somewhat of bread and dole it out to the inmates of the
gaol.[334] So here am I come for such purpose.” Upon this the man opened
to him the door and he went in and all divided the bread amongst the
captives yet he saw not the Wazir; so he said to the gaoler, “Hath any
one remained that I may dole to him his share?” “O Darwaysh,” said the
other, “whereof askest thou?” and said the Fakir, “O my lord, I have
sworn an oath and Allah upon thee, if there be among the captives any
save these I have seen, do thou tell me thereof.” Quoth the man, “There
remaineth none save the Wazir who is in another place, but indeed he is
not in want;” and quoth the Fakir, “O my lord, my desire is to free
myself from the obligation of mine oath.” Accordingly the gaoler led him
in to the Wazir and when the Darwaysh drew nigh the visitor shrieked and
fell fainting to the floor, and the warder seeing him prostrate left him
to himself and went his ways. Hereupon the Minister came to him and
sprinkling somewhat of water upon his face said to him, “O Darwaysh,
there is no harm to thee!” So the Fakir arose and said, “O my lord, my
heart hath been upon thee for a while of time;”——And Shahrazad was
surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased to say her
permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, “How sweet is thy story,
O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!” Quoth she, “And where
is this compared with that I would relate to you on the coming night an
the King suffer me to survive?” Now when it was the next night and that
was
The Seven Hundred and Thirty-first Night,